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Young World
Conserving ethnic weaves in cloth
P. ANIMA
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This fashion designer believes in incorporating the colours of his native hills in his designs.
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PHOTOS: SANDEEP SAXENA
Reflection of a lifestyle: Nitin Bal Chauhan’s creations
As a child, Nitin Bal Chauhan did his bit of painting and drawing in school. He had a keen aesthetic eye too. But that never led him to believe he would become a fashion designer one day. Chauhan made his debut at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week and also managed to impress many with his creations. His collection “Waiting for Yellow” reflected a strong Himachali influence.
The young designer belongs to the naturally beautiful Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. Though he did most of his school and college education in Shimla and Delhi, Chamba is a prominent influence in his work. He has highlighted the crafts and weaves of Chamba in his clothes and also wants to draw attention to the plight of local craftsmen.
“The name ‘Waiting for Yellow’ is a metaphor for good life and prosperity,” says Chauhan. The local craftsmen have fallen on bad times and their craft has suffered too, he explains. “I want to help them to regain their craft and also want them to pass it on to the next generation,” says Chauhan. The designer graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi winning the “Best Design Collection” award. But the time he spent in Chamba after graduation and his interaction with the local people and craftsmen during the Minjar international fair, made him spurn an offer to study abroad.
Instead, he stayed back and worked with the tribals of Chamba.
It’s Ethics
“Himachali crafts and culture, if interpreted the right way has a very international feel,” says Chauhan.Be it the temples, costumes or ceremonies of his home state, everything works its way into Chauhan’s designs.
And it sure is winning him accolades too. At the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai last year, Chauhan walked away with the prize for the best generation next designer.
At the WIFW in Delhi, he showcased an all-woollen collection. “Some tribes of Himachal are shepherds.
We buy wool from them and mix it with Australian wool and then process it. It is ethical fashion that aims to conserve crafts and livelihood of the local people,” says Chauhan.
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